I am Jack's Narrative Essay
by RachyBaby09
Summary: Fight Club analyzed in depth. Written for film school. Please take a look!


_I'm currently getting my BA in screen-writing... and I had to analyze a film (based on its narrative elements) for my Aesthetics class. I've picked apart the characters, themes, and format. Please don't forget to drop a quick comment/review if you have read! _

**_7/15/10 - I got an A! Yay!_**

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_I am Jack's Narrative Essay_

Fight Club (1999) effectively entwines the elements of narrative into a compelling and powerful work of art. Fight Club's themes are philosophical and thought provoking, as they investigate the effects of consumerism in modern society. The major characters are round and identifiable. The clever blend of content and form enriches the film, adding heightened dimensions to the story and its themes. The dialogue is inspiring and spiritual. Stunning visuals empower the story and vividly communicate Fight Club's symbolism.

The protagonist, Jack, is introduced as a nameless man suffering from a midlife crisis and an increasing apathy for life. His exposition personifies a pathetic and painfully routine lifestyle; life for Jack consists of tidying his apartment, shuffling through catalogs for clever buys and drifting through sleepless nights. Jack's spiritless and numb disposition is mirrored within the apartment's cold and static décor. Witnessing Jack fall victim to consumerism and society's conformity arouses an immediate empathy and compassion for his character. A lost soul, who's desperately searching for his identity, is trapped within Jack's hollow cocoon of IKEA catalogs and cookie cutter furniture. He works at a frivolous white-collar job, where he is unappreciated and lost within the commotion. Jack's emotional and physical detachment is depicted by his vacant expression and the monotone interaction with his boss. Watching the copy machine generate countless replicas reflects one of Fight Club's underlying themes: conformity. There exists a distinct void within Jack; he is incomplete. His possessions are a means to an unattainable end. Jack's voiceover narration expresses his internal struggle. "What kind of dining set defines a person?"

Tyler Durden is Jack's alter ego, created from his desperation and despair. He is strong, confident, and, most importantly, free of society's bondage. Tyler's witty and philosophical one-liners portray his kindled spirit and immediately make him an admirable character. His flamboyant and mismatched clothing reflects his eccentric personality and unconventional world views. Tyler's detrimental habits, such as smoking and excessive drinking, characterize his overly placid and careless state of mind. Jack wildly idolizes and worships Tyler. This is blatantly stated during their confrontation in act 3, "You were looking for a way to change your life. You could not do this on your own. All the ways you wish you could be: that's me." Tyler's night jobs are ideal to his destructive motives, as they allow him tasteless opportunities to exploit and disturb consumers. The persons remain ignorant and perfectly oblivious to Tyler's mischief. "Oblivion" is one of Fight Club's reoccurring themes. In act 1, Jack discovers a sense of oblivious contentment when he attends the various support group meetings. His narration reflects on this false solace. "Lost in oblivion. Dark and silent and complete."

Tyler's charisma and inspiring leadership—paired with Jack's interiorized resentment for society—fuse together to form a dangerous and immovable force. Tyler quickly develops into an anarchist, terrorist leader, and an exalted legend among the working class citizens. The scope of the film widens as the plot progresses; the destruction, which began in the isolation of Jack's apartment, spreads to a worldwide scale. Project Mayhem is Jack's ideal crime. It is his vengeance, and a bittersweet revenge on society. Project Mayhem is an attempt to destroy and conquer everything which had enslaved his spirit.

Clever and practical techniques used in Fight Club's sequencing, voiceover narration, and selective pacing heighten the story's impact. The film's form and content are seamless. They brilliantly compliment each other. A jarring shot of Jack, pressed up against Bob's breasts, is shown within the first minute of the film; directly after, the screen time is flashbacked several months. The visual of Jack and Bob embracing is imperative to the audience's perspective of the protagonist. When contrasted against Bob, Jack's pitiful character is empowered and masculine.

Tyler Durden is not formally incorporated into the plot until act 2—but there are subliminal images of him scattered throughout act 1. This enhances Fight Club's form and gives its content a new edge. One of Tyler's night jobs is working as a projectionist; during the reel's changeover, he delights in splicing pornographic images into the film. This subliminal act is visually embedded into the plot. Over the course of act 3, the concept of a "changeover" is manipulated in Jack's narration, as he compares it to his personality switches. "It's called a changeover. The movie goes on and nobody in the audience has any idea."

During act 2, Jack's growing acceptance and appreciation for life on Paper Street is shown as an intercut sequence. Jack's newly acquired liberation and freedom is compared with chaotic clips of men fighting. The two events are juxtaposed, which portrays a compelling turning point in the protagonist's character arc. Jack is devolving. He has become primitive and borderline animalistic in how he deals with the world. He has found freedom by escaping the pressures of modern society. He has returned himself to a simpler mindset. There is a strange sense of personal relief in Paper Street's "stale refrigerator" and the absence of television. The tangible, material things—things which had consistently ruled over Jack's existence—are suddenly forgotten to him.

A brief and comical clip, of Jack at his workplace, illustrates his new ability to cope with his environment. With a pathetic desperation, during a meeting, his boss asks if he may get an icon "in cornflower-blue." A major plot reversal has taken place: the world has become inferior to Jack. Jack is no longer the victim. He pities society, "I felt sorry for the guys packing into gyms, trying to look like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger said they should."

Fight Club has a phenomenal plot twist. The ending is shocking; not surprising. The plot is strictly perceived from the narrator's deluded point of view, which causes the twist to be highly effective and empathetic. The audience is the protagonist. Rather than a reliable plot telling device, the voiceover behaves as an intimate, non-diegetic window into Jack's emotional conflict and turmoil. The feelings and thoughts, which are consistently expressed through the voiceover, become more self-aware throughout the three acts. This internal realization escalates with the pacing of the film. Jack's voiceover and the external stakes eventually meet; the imminent collapse of society (external) and Jack's identity collapse (internal) mirror each other. The constant suspense and action reels us into Jack's crazed mind and world. Half of the thrill is the mystery and interpretation of the story's implied events. The plot is rich, but the story is richer. Regardless of how many times it has been watched, Fight Club always delivers a unique experience for the viewer.

Jack and Tyler's inevitable confrontation occurs at the act 3 turning point. Another reversal ensues, as the two personalities meet and collide. Fight Club's climax is one of the most suspenseful of all protagonist/antagonist showdowns. Tyler Durden is the ideal antagonist; he is a man designed by Jack. The motives of Jack and Tyler are the same; the two personalities have opposing goals. This is where the central conflict arises. Jack desires an inner peace and contentment. Tyler wishes to inflict chaos for the sake of wreaking havoc and destruction. These conflicting goals collide during the climax, and Jack is forced to overpower Tyler—his "inner demon."

There is an element of tragic romance throughout the story. Jack must conquer his opposite half—the "person" who once had completed his soul. Jack's dialogue, before shooting himself, serves multiple significances to his arc and the film's conclusion. Jack's voiceover narration often hints that Tyler exists only when he has "slept." By remaining "awake," while shooting himself, he is able to kill the illusion of Tyler and survive the assassination. Buddhism is a reoccurring theme, and Tyler often draws reference to its philosophical values. Therefore, stating his "eyes are open" symbolizes Jack's ability to purse his spiritual journey without the need of Tyler's guidance.

The film's conclusion is both open-ended and slightly ironic. Tyler vanishes, which implies Jack successfully eliminated the alter ego; but the "spliced pornographic frame," which appears for a single frame before the credits, suggests that Tyler may secretly still live and manipulate Jack.

Many of the visuals in Fight Club foreshadow events and are metaphorical to the story. A yin-yang table is shown in Jack's apartment in act 1. This is highly symbolic of his split personality. Tyler is Jack's yang; he is masculine, aggressive, and dominant. Jack's apathetic attitude serves as his yin; Jack is lethargic, unsubstantial, and weak.

A dildo is a strangely reoccurring motif. The chronically ill cancer patient, Chloe, announces that she is at a "very lonely place" and "keeps a dildo at home." The airport security worker implies that Jack's suitcase may be vibrating from an activated dildo. When Tyler comes to Marla's rescue, she comically acknowledges a dildo which is sitting on top of her dresser. This reappearing motif can be understood as a tangible possession, which functions as a replacement for a greater emotional void. The gratification it arouses can inspire a false sense of completeness and "oblivious" fulfillment. This concept can be compared to Jack's motivation for collecting dining sets, as well as his profound attachment to possessions and consumer products. Tyler makes a clever and relevant comment, "Self improvement is masturbation."

In act 2, Tyler defends fight club from the tavern's enraged owner. He is mercilessly beaten, pleading, "Please let us keep this place, Lou. Please!" Afterwards, there is a powerful shot of Tyler's marred and ragged body elevated from the ground by two fight club members. His body is propped up, each of his arms slung over a man's shoulder. Tyler's head is sunken and lolling forward, streams of blood running down his face like crimson tears; his spiky hair appears as a glossy silhouette beneath the dim lighting. Tyler can be paralleled to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The structure of Lou's dialogue contains a sub-textual reference, "Christ, use the basement!"

"Paper Street" is a very rich and unique setting. It has a distinct personality, which is communicated through the ominous use of sounds, surreal décor, and almost intimate candle lighting. The home's disturbing and unkempt appearance contains a haunting beauty. A sense of antirealism powerfully resonates. Paper Street is secluded and completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of society. There are no neighbors; only industrial buildings can be seen. Ironic imagery appears within the home. A large American flag is shown hanging on a wall; Tyler and Jack devote themselves to disturbing the citizens of New York and creating chaos. Tyler states that he does not own a car; Jack works as a recall coordinator.

Fight Club is a film which transcends far beyond the screen, impacting the audience long after its final shot. The skillful and selective use of narrative makes it an unforgettable classic.


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